Bucknell University Athletics
Softball Welcomes Lafayette on Tuesday and Wednesday
4/13/2015 5:19:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell softball looks to move up the Patriot League standings when it plays three games against conference foe Lafayette this week at Becker Field. The Bison will host the Leopards for a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 3 p.m., and will conclude the series with a game on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Bucknell improved to 22-17 overall with three non-conference wins over the weekend. The Bison topped Robert Morris with a walk-off solo home run by Erin Cox on Friday, and swept a doubleheader with Binghamton behind great pitching from Dana Nielsen and Amanda Fazio on Saturday.
The Bison are off to a shaky start in conference play this season at 1-5, but have plenty of time to make up ground. Their two Patriot League opponents so far, Lehigh and Colgate, sit atop the league standings with a combined record of 18-2. The Leopards are 1-8 against conference opponents, with the lone win coming against Army.
Kristen Zahn has driven in runs at a record pace for Bucknell this year. She has 36 RBIs on the season, the most in program history, and has driven in at least one run in each of the past six games. Cox has 26 RBIs on the year and leads the team with seven home runs.
Jacee Almond has a hit in five straight games, going 9-of-17 during that span to raise her average to .288. Mariah Midyette has come on as of late and has a four-game hitting streak, including a 3-for-3 showing in the second game against Binghamton. She has raised her average by nearly 80 points in the past six games.
Nielsen was outstanding last weekend as she picked up the win in relief against Robert Morris and went the distance in the first win over Binghamton to pick up her seventh victory of the season. She struck out 10 batters and walked just two in her two appearances. The junior has a team-best 3.67 ERA.
Lafayette, which fell to 3-25 after getting swept by Colgate over the weekend, is led offensively by Rebecca Dvorak. She is batting .268 with two doubles and one triple.
Bucknell is 68-40-1 all-time against Lafayette. The Bison took two of three in last season's series, sweeping a doubleheader before falling 2-1 in the finale.
